Dual PAN Case: Azam Khan & Son Abdullah Azam Get 7-Year Jail Term
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam were on Monday sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment by a Special MP-MLA Magistrate Court in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur in the dual PAN card case. The case, filed in December 2019 at the Civil Lines Police Station by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Akash Saxena, alleges that the two held dual PAN cards with different dates of birth (DoBs). Saxena claimed they obtained the PAN cards using forged documents and used them for banking transactions and income tax records. The latest conviction adds to the long list of legal battles surrounding Azam Khan.
Legal Setbacks Continue For Khan
Azam Khan, who has been embroiled in multiple cases, faces yet another major legal challenge. The judgement comes just months after he secured bail in September this year, walking out of Rampur jail after nearly 23 months in custody.
Recently, Khan received relief when he was acquitted in a separate case involving allegations of misusing his official ministerial letterhead and seal in 2014 to issue defamatory statements against the BJP and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The incident allegedly occurred while he was a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government. However, a Lucknow court dismissed the case due to lack of evidence.
“After considering all aspects, the court is of the opinion that the charges against accused Azam Khan have not been proven beyond doubt. Hence, he deserves to be acquitted,” the order said.
Since his release on bail, Khan has sought to reassert himself in Uttar Pradesh’s political landscape. Earlier this month, he met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and described their relationship as a familial bond. He also sharpened his criticism of the state government, telling PTI on 6 November: “Law and order se ‘law’ gayab hai, yahan sirf ‘order’ chal raha hai.”
Joint Jail Plea Filed
Meanwhile, in Rampur, Khan’s lawyer has submitted a petition requesting that Azam Khan and Abdullah Azam be kept in the same prison. The court will now decide where the two will be lodged.
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